“You have everything to prove” Jay Williams frustrated over James Harden’s laid back nature ahead of Sixers’ playoff series
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James Harden and Jay Williams
James Harden is arguably one of the most talented players the league has ever since seen in terms of offense. The 32-year-old player has entered his veteran years in the league and has admitted that he might be in the last years of his career. Based on this notion, the player forced a trade from the Brooklyn Nets who to Harden were not “playoff hungry”.
Harden has been playing for the Philadelphia 76ers since mid-February alongside the MVP candidate Joel Embiid. The Sixers are currently in the playoffs entering as the fourth seed finishing the regular season with 51 wins and 31 losses tied with Milwaukee and Boston. They are set to face the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs this season on April 17th, 2022.
James Harden goes into an awkward productivity slump in the final few games
James Harden started off his Sixers career on a very good note but his game experienced a slight decrease as the season came to an end. He averaged 15.8 points per game on less than 40% shooting from the field, in his last five games with the team. Based on his performances, Head Coach Doc Rivers blatantly admitted that Harden was not performing up to standards.
The beard finished the regular season with his new team averaging 21 points, 10.5 assists, and 7.1 rebounds per game shooting 40.2% from the field, 32.6% from three-point range, and 89.2% from the line. Harden opened up about the playoffs ahead of him saying, “I don’t (have anything to prove). I don’t feel any pressure. I don’t feel any of that. For me, it’s going out there and playing my game, trying to help my team win.”
Jay Williams reacts to James Harden’s “not feeling the pressure” comment
James Harden made a move to the Sixers due to his desperation of winning a title which means that being given his best situation, he should be feeling the pressure to show people that he was right. Jay Williams felt that Harden was not being true to himself, he said, “You have everything to prove. You want to win a championship. I get all the individual accolades. He is one of the most innovative offensive players the game of basketball has ever seen.
“But at the end of the day, James Harden has been close to winning championships that this is probably one of his best opportunities to do so playing alongside a guy who should be the MVP,” said Williams. Harden has been part of title-contending teams before in Oklahoma when he reached the finals with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. He once again had an opportunity in Houston against the Golden State Warriors during the Western Conference Finals in 2018. The Warriors went out to defeat the Rockets in Game 7 after losing Chris Paul to a hamstring injury.
Also read: Nets star Ben Simmons’ target date vs Celtics revealed
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Rakibul John Rodgers
(1258 Articles Published)